Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-10-12
NO. l..
THE OPIUM HABIT,


My experience has taught me to be-
lieve that no person who is addicted to
the op um habit is sane. do not mean
to say that when a person begins to use
the drug he is out of his mind, but
after he has become addicted to the
use Of it; in other words, when he has
become a chronic opium-eater, con-
slider him insane. | have hal consider
able experience with opium-eaterS. and,
as rule, do not like to have them in
an insane asylum.
There is now patient in this institu-
tion who came here seven .inonths ago.
His friends do not consider him out of
his mind, but consider him an insane
man. [ am of the opinion that he is
unaccountable for what he does, and I
think he is unfit to transact his own
business or the business Of any one else.
Seven months ago he was taking ten
grains of opium day. He is now
down to two grains dav and doing
well. think twas through the power
of his own will that he has reached his
present improved condition and not
on account of any medical skill on my
part.
In curing the habit / would SLOW the
habitue his usual dose of opium, and
let him take it. but day by day [ would
reduce the fluid with water but always
give him the same sized dose. A per-
son who has been addicted to the opium
habit for fourteen or fifteen months is
regarded as chronic case. Three
grains of opium daily is a large dose,
but ten grains is enormous.
The effect of the drug on chronic
opium-eater is merely quieting; he is in
a state Of halfdrunkenness, whether he
takes large or small doses. But, in an
acute case, the effects of the drug are
very pleasant indeed. The victim sees
visions of lovelineSs and grandeur inn
possible to describe and catches
glimpses of heavenly state of exist
ence. When he has become a chronic
user of the drug, and his system de-
mands it, he, to a certain extent, ceases
to have these visions and rapturous
dreams unless he takes unusually heavy
doses-enough to produce immediate
sleep. Under such conditions he will
usually have pleasant dreams though
sometimes he passes through horrible
scenes of torture
The effect of the drug on the phisique
of a person varies somewhat. Some
times he viii become dreadfully ema-
eiated, but if the appetite keeps good
he will not decrease in weight. There
is always, however, a peculiar color
about an opium-eater's face, and by
that he can be known; the complexion
assumes the color of old brass, having
a peculiar death-like hue but it is sell
dom that the digestion is impaired.
Opium affects the spinal cord and the
brain principally. The nerve power of
the opium-eater is very much lessened
without the opium, and it is very much
increased with the drug until the end
comes. The death of the opium-eater is
not marked by any particular scenes Of
horror. [ have seen several opium
eaters die a very pleasant death, and
do not know that [ ever saw a very bad
death among such patients.
The causes which lead persons into
the opium habit are so numerous that
no one would attempt to define all of
them The habit is often brought on in
young medical students who resort to
the stimulant through overstraining
| themselves in study. The troubles
brought about in the rush of business
account for others using the drug Ex-
cessive liquor-drinking sometimes leads
to the habit.
am now attending prominent cit
izen of New York City, a man of wealth,
who has been very heavy drinker.
He resorted to drink to drown his sor-
row over the death of beautiful daugh-
ter. [ took him for the opium habit
He took chloral and morphine COM
bined. He would take enough chloral
and morphine in u day to kill fifteen
men. | reduced his allowance to al
most nothing. He got so that he took
very small dose every day, but in
short time he relapsed into his old
habits, became as bad as he ever was,
and the consequence is he Will soon die.
There are three methods by which
the drug is taken, viz, internally,
hypodermic injection, and by absorp-
ton. that is by rubbing the drug on
the skin. My experience is that about
one-third of the numberof opium eaters
take it in paregoric form, while two
thirds take it in the gum. Very few
people take tincture of opium. Taking
the drug by means of pill is favor
ite method. 1t can be kept more Sc
cretly about the person in that form
than in any other. Paregorie has to
be carried in bottle, and it has 70
strong smell very similar to anise-seed-
The smell is quickly noticed, while, If
a person chews opium, you have to get
very close to him to smell it. N.
Carpenter, IN Epoch.